Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson rarely score little, but when they do, Warriors’ wins are even rarer

By Dan FeldmanJun 3, 2016, 10:52 AM EDT
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In the Warriors’ 121 games since last year’s playoffs began, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 20 or fewer points just thrice:

  • A December loss to the Mavericks, which Curry missed due to a leg injury. Thompson scored just 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
  • Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Rockets in this year’s first round. Though he averaged 32 points in the other five games Curry missed with his knee injury, Thompson scored just 17 in this dud.
  • Game 1 of the Finals last night

Curry (11 points on 4-of-15 shooting) and Thompson (nine points on 4-of-12 shooting) were let off the hook by the Warriors’ bench, which came up big in 104-89 win.

It’s been more than two years since Curry and Thompson scored so little in a game they both played. Even when one was out, the other usually picked up the slack.

Here’s the combined scoring output of the Splash Brothers in each Golden State game since the start of last season’s playoffs, Curry in yellow and Thompson in blue:

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Game Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Total
April 18, 2015: 106-99 W vs. NOP 34 21 55
April 20, 2015: 97-87 W vs. NOP 22 26 48
April 23, 2015: 123-119 (OT) W at NOP 40 28 68
April 25, 2015: 109-98 W at NOP 39 25 64
May 3, 2015: 101-86 W vs. MEM 22 18 40
May 5, 2015: 90-97 L vs. MEM 19 13 32
May 9, 2015: 89-99 L at MEM 23 20 43
May 11, 2015: 101-84 W at MEM 33 15 48
May 13, 2015: 98-78 W vs. MEM 18 21 39
May 15, 2015: 108-95 W at MEM 32 20 52
May 19, 2015: 110-106 W vs. HOU 34 15 49
May 21, 2015: 99-98 W vs. HOU 33 13 46
May 23, 2015: 115-80 W at HOU 40 17 57
May 25, 2015: 115-128 L at HOU 23 24 47
May 27, 2015: 104-90 W vs. HOU 26 20 46
June 4, 2015: 108-100 (OT) W vs. CLE 26 21 47
June 7, 2015: 93-95 (OT) L vs. CLE 19 34 53
June 9, 2015: 91-96 L at CLE 27 14 41
June 11, 2015: 103-82 W at CLE 22 9 31
June 14, 2015: 104-91 W vs. CLE 37 12 49
June 16, 2015: 105-97 W at CLE 25 5 30
October 27, 2015: 111-95 W vs. NOP 40 9 49
October 30, 2015: 112-92 W at HOU 25 11 36
October 31, 2015: 134-120 W at NOP 53 19 72
November 2, 2015: 119-69 W vs. MEM 30 14 44
November 4, 2015: 112-108 W vs. LAC 31 16 47
November 6, 2015: 119-104 W vs. DEN 34 18 52
November 7, 2015: 103-94 W at SAC 24 18 42
November 9, 2015: 109-95 W vs. DET 22 24 46
November 11, 2015: 100-84 W at MEM 28 8 36
November 12, 2015: 129-116 W at MIN 46 15 61
November 14, 2015: 107-99 (OT) W vs. BRK 34 0 34
November 17, 2015: 115-110 W vs. TOR 37 19 56
November 19, 2015: 124-117 W at LAC 40 25 65
November 20, 2015: 106-94 W vs. CHI 27 15 42
November 22, 2015: 118-105 W at DEN 19 21 40
November 24, 2015: 111-77 W vs. LAL 24 11 35
November 27, 2015: 135-116 W at PHO 41 15 56
November 28, 2015: 120-101 W vs. SAC 19 15 34
November 30, 2015: 106-103 W at UTA 26 20 46
December 2, 2015: 116-99 W at CHO 40 21 61
December 5, 2015: 112-109 W at TOR 44 26 70
December 6, 2015: 114-98 W at BRK 28 21 49
December 8, 2015: 131-123 W at IND 29 39 68
December 11, 2015: 124-119 (2OT) W at BOS 38 0 38
December 12, 2015: 95-108 L at MIL 28 12 40
December 16, 2015: 128-103 W vs. PHO 25 43 68
December 18, 2015: 121-112 W vs. MIL 26 27 53
December 23, 2015: 103-85 W vs. UTA 16 20 36
December 25, 2015: 89-83 W vs. CLE 19 18 37
December 28, 2015: 122-103 W vs. SAC 23 29 52
December 30, 2015: 91-114 L at DAL 0 10 10
December 31, 2015: 114-110 W at HOU 0 38 38
January 2, 2016: 111-108 (OT) W vs. DEN 5 26 31
January 4, 2016: 111-101 W vs. CHO 30 30 60
January 5, 2016: 109-88 W at LAL 17 36 53
January 8, 2016: 128-108 W at POR 26 36 62
January 9, 2016: 128-116 W at SAC 38 15 53
January 11, 2016: 111-103 W vs. MIA 31 17 48
January 13, 2016: 110-112 L at DEN 38 17 55
January 14, 2016: 116-98 W vs. LAL 26 12 38
January 16, 2016: 95-113 L at DET 38 24 62
January 18, 2016: 132-98 W at CLE 35 15 50
January 20, 2016: 125-94 W at CHI 25 20 45
January 22, 2016: 122-110 W vs. IND 39 18 57
January 25, 2016: 120-90 W vs. SAS 37 11 48
January 27, 2016: 127-107 W vs. DAL 14 45 59
January 30, 2016: 108-105 W at PHI 23 32 55
January 31, 2016: 116-95 W at NYK 13 34 47
February 3, 2016: 134-121 W at WAS 51 24 75
February 6, 2016: 116-108 W vs. OKC 26 18 44
February 9, 2016: 123-110 W vs. HOU 35 13 48
February 10, 2016: 112-104 W at PHO 26 24 50
February 19, 2016: 105-137 L at POR 31 23 54
February 20, 2016: 115-112 W at LAC 23 32 55
February 22, 2016: 102-92 W at ATL 36 27 63
February 24, 2016: 118-112 W at MIA 42 33 75
February 25, 2016: 130-114 W at ORL 51 9 60
February 27, 2016: 121-118 (OT) W at OKC 46 32 78
March 1, 2016: 109-105 (OT) W vs. ATL 0 26 26
March 3, 2016: 121-106 W vs. OKC 33 21 54
March 6, 2016: 95-112 L at LAL 18 15 33
March 7, 2016: 119-113 W vs. ORL 41 27 68
March 9, 2016: 115-94 W vs. UTA 12 23 35
March 11, 2016: 128-112 W vs. POR 34 37 71
March 12, 2016: 123-116 W vs. PHO 35 20 55
March 14, 2016: 125-107 W vs. NOP 27 18 45
March 16, 2016: 121-85 W vs. NYK 34 19 53
March 18, 2016: 130-112 W at DAL 31 39 70
March 19, 2016: 79-87 L at SAS 14 15 29
March 21, 2016: 109-104 W at MIN 19 17 36
March 23, 2016: 114-98 W vs. LAC 33 32 65
March 25, 2016: 128-120 W vs. DAL 33 40 73
March 27, 2016: 117-105 W vs. PHI 20 40 60
March 29, 2016: 102-94 W vs. WAS 26 16 42
March 30, 2016: 103-96 (OT) W at UTA 31 18 49
April 1, 2016: 106-109 L vs. BOS 29 15 44
April 3, 2016: 136-111 W vs. POR 39 21 60
April 5, 2016: 117-124 (OT) L vs. MIN 21 28 49
April 7, 2016: 112-101 W vs. SAS 27 14 41
April 9, 2016: 100-99 W at MEM 17 20 37
April 10, 2016: 92-86 W at SAS 37 14 51
April 13, 2016: 125-104 W vs. MEM 46 16 62
April 16, 2016: 104-78 W vs. HOU 24 16 40
April 18, 2016: 115-106 W vs. HOU 0 34 34
April 21, 2016: 96-97 L at HOU 0 17 17
April 24, 2016: 121-94 W at HOU 6 23 29
April 27, 2016: 114-81 W vs. HOU 0 27 27
May 1, 2016: 118-106 W vs. POR 0 37 37
May 3, 2016: 110-99 W vs. POR 0 27 27
May 7, 2016: 108-120 L at POR 0 35 35
May 9, 2016: 132-125 (OT) W at POR 40 23 63
May 11, 2016: 125-121 W vs. POR 29 33 62
May 16, 2016: 102-108 L vs. OKC 26 25 51
May 18, 2016: 118-91 W vs. OKC 28 15 43
May 22, 2016: 105-133 L at OKC 24 18 42
May 24, 2016: 94-118 L at OKC 19 26 45
May 26, 2016: 120-111 W vs. OKC 31 27 58
May 28, 2016: 108-101 W at OKC 31 41 72
May 30, 2016: 96-88 W vs. OKC 36 21 57
June 2, 2016: 104-89 W vs. CLE 11 9 20

Credit Cleveland’s defense for locking in on Curry and Thompson, but the guards shot 3-for-11 on attempts NBA.com deems open or wide open. No matter what the Cavs think, that doesn’t seem sustainable. Over the long run, those will fall for such talented shooters.

But reaction doesn’t come over the long run. Two score-first All-Stars scoring this little on the biggest stage? That usually draws tremendous criticism.

This was one heck of an off game by Curry and Thompson. They just picked the right night for it.